Current Event 2/26/09

Guns in Church Bill Dies in Arkansas



A bill that allowed handguns in church was rejected by the state Senate in Arkansas. This bill would have taken churches off of the list of places in Arkansas where people cannot carry handguns. Churches and bars are the only ones on that list.



The House approved the bill eariler this month, but the Senate Judiciary Committee stalled the bill on a voice vote Wednesday. The bill's sponsor Representative Beverly Pyle told the panal that she would be trying again with this proposal. She states, "This is not a gun question, but a question of religious freedom." Govenor Mike Beebe has said that he would sign the bill if it made it to his desk. Nancy Petty, the pastor of a church, said that churched should have the right to decide whether or not handguns should be allowed on their properties. "It's not the role of the state to preserve the sanctity of the church, and it's not the role of the state to impose religious judgment calls on churches," Petty said. However Debra Freeman, another pastor from Little Rock, said that it was not the nature of the church to have guns in it. She said that it would take churched from feeling safe and peaceful to fear and suspicion.

I think that having guns in church is completely wrong. Yes, it brings fourth a question of religious freedom, but what is religious about bringing a gun with you the church. Nothing. I go to church because I enjoy the singing and love praising God. Do I feel like I need a gun to protect me when I have the ultimate protecter on my side? nope. I believe that people should start having more faith in God and trust in him rather than really on guns and knifes. If people feel the need to be protected while attending church then what kind of society do we live in? Church is a place of peacefulness and safety not violence and fear.

Current Event-Friday the 13th

Police in South Carolina, where Michael Phelps was photographed smoking from a marijuana pipe, have been making arrests as they hope to progress in making a case against the Olympic gold medalist. While arrests have been made near the University of South Carolina, where Phelps attended a party back in November, Lieutenant Chris Cowan is trying to find information that can forward the police in this case. He said, "As soon as we're ready to release information on this case we will and we're still in the middle of this investigation." The photo was published on February 1st, and Phelps has issued a public apology, acknowledging his regrettable and "bad judgement" behavior. The police have arrested two boys for the University of South Carolina, who they believe that they had something to do with the same party that Phelps attended. However the boys attorneys think different. One of the lawyers said, "Our clients answered questions but I don't know that their information would be helpful to law enforcement. It seems to me the Richland County has a host of its own crime problems much more serious than a kid featured in a photograph with a bong in his hand." So far their have been about eight arrests related to this case.

Current Events

General Motors plans to cut 10,000 paying jobs, blaming the need to restructure the company and continue with the descending prices of automobiles. This will cause the current salaried workers pay of 73,000 dollars to decrease to 63,000 dollars this year. Most of these cuts are planned to occur May 1st. GM's plan to restructure the company was submitted late last year. Also, GM plans to cut the pay of it's remaining employees starting May 1st continue to at least the end of the year.
I chose this article because it shows how bad America needs help. Because the economy is slowly deteriorating, businesses and companies have been forced to take action for the better of their businesses. They have had to lay off employees, cut pay, and even shut down branches of companies.

It the article, The Depression Hits Las Vegas, the author expresses the fact that the gaming industry is in trouble. Dow Jones reported in December that the Las Vegas strip was down 23%. The gambling industry has gone from people sitting at the black Jack table trying to win back a couple hundred dollars after spending it on alcohol, to people afraid to spend any of their money at all. This is what happens when America is hit with an unexpected economic downturn--the gambling just gets kicked out of them. This is just another result of how bad our economy is and how desperately America needs to get out of its depression. The way things are going it looks like it can only get worse. People are believing that Obama is going to be the one to get us out, but other believe that he is in way over his head. I believe that it is too quick to tell whether or not Obama can do the job, but I hope someone will do something fast.